Relation between cognition and neural connection from injured cingulum to brainstem cholinergic nuclei in chronic patients with traumatic brain injury

MRI factors associated with cognitive functioning after acute onset brain injury: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Impairments of memory, attention, and executive functioning are frequently reported after acute onset brain injury. MRI markers hold potential to contribute to identification of patients at risk for cognitive impairments and clarification of mechanisms. The aim of this systematic review was to summarize and value the evidence on MRI markers of memory, attention, and executive functioning after acute onset brain injury. We included ninety-eight studies, on six classes of MRI factors (location and severity of damage (n = 15), volume/atrophy (n = 36), signs of small vessel disease (n = 15), diffusion-weighted imaging measures (n = 36), resting-state functional MRI measures (n = 13), and arterial spin labeling measures (n = 1)). Three measures showed consistent results regarding their association with cognition. Smaller hippocampal volume was associated with worse memory in fourteen studies (pooled correlation 0.58 [95% CI: 0.46-0.68] for whole, 0.11 [95% CI: 0.04-0.19] for left, and 0.34 [95% CI: 0.17-0.49] for right hippocampus). Lower fractional anisotropy in cingulum and fornix was associated with worse memory in six and five studies (pooled correlation 0.20 [95% CI: 0.08-0.32] and 0.29 [95% CI: 0.20-0.37], respectively). Lower functional connectivity within the default-mode network was associated with worse cognition in four studies. In conclusion, hippocampal volume, fractional anisotropy in cingulum and fornix, and functional connectivity within the default-mode network showed consistent associations with cognitive performance in all types of acute onset brain injury. External validation and cut off values for predicting cognitive impairments are needed for clinical implementation.

Title: Injury characteristics of the Papez circuit in patients with diffuse axonal injury: a diffusion tensor tractography study

We investigate the characteristics of injury of four portions of the Papez circuit in patients with diffuse axonal injury (DAI), using diffusion tensor tractography (DTT). Thirty-four consecutive patients with DAI and 30 normal control subjects were recruited. Four portions of the Papez circuit were reconstructed: the fornix, cingulum, thalamocingulate tract, and mammillothalamic tract. Analysis of DTT parameters [fractional anisotropy (FA) and tract volume (TV)] and configuration (narrowing, discontinuation, or non-reconstruction) was performed for each portion of the Papez circuit. The Memory Assessment Scale (MAS) was used for the estimation of cognitive function. In the group analysis, decreased fractional anisotropy and tract volume of the entire Papez circuit were observed in the patient group compared with the control group (p < 0.05). In the individual analysis, all four portions of the Papez circuit were injured in terms of DTT parameters or configuration. Positive correlation was observed between TV of the fornix and short-term memory on MAS r = 0.618, p < 0.05), and between FA of the fornix and total memory on MAS (r = 0.613, p < 0.05). We found that all four portions of the Papez circuit in the patient group were vulnerable to DAI, and among four portions of the Papez circuit, the fornix was the most vulnerable portion in terms of injury incidence and severity.

Modulation of Interhemispheric Functional Coordination in Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy

Objectives

Chemotherapy induces cognitive impairments including memory impairment attention deficit and executive dysfunction in patients with breast cancer (BC) during or after chemotherapy. Previous studies identified brain structural and functional changes in BC patients receiving chemotherapy; however, there are no studies assessing functional connectivity (FC) between homotopic brain regions in BC patients using a voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) method. In the present study, we explored cognitive function and whole brain homotopic FC in BC patients receiving chemotherapy compared with healthy controls using the VMHC method.

Methods

The present cross-sectional study included 35 premenopausal women with breast cancer who received chemotherapy, as well as 32 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC). All subjects underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging, which measured homotopic brain FC, and cognitive neuropsychological assessments evaluating attention, memory, and executive function domains.

Results

The BC group had lower VMHC than the HC group in the cingulated posterior, insular and postcentral regions. No region exhibited higher VMHC in the BC group than in HC group. Correlation analysis in the BC group indicated that VMHC values in the cingulated posterior were significantly correlated with executive function tests, and that the VMHC values in the insular were significantly correlated with memory tests.

Conclusion

The present study showed that VMHC decreased in different brain regions including cingulated posterior, insular and postcentral regions. A significant correlation was observed between the VMHC values in the brain regions and neuropsychological tests. These results suggested that changes in VMHC values in different brain regions may underlie cognitive changes in BC patients receiving chemotherapy.

Traumatic axonal injury of the cingulum in patients with mild traumatic brain injury: a diffusion tensor tractography study

The cingulum, connecting the orbitofrontal cortex to the medial temporal lobe, involves in diverse cognition functions including attention, memory, and motivation. To investigate the relationship between the cingulum injury and cognitive impairment in patients with chronic mild traumatic brain injury, we evaluated the integrity between the anterior cingulum and the basal forebrain using diffusion tensor tractography in 73 patients with chronic mild traumatic brain injury (39 males, 34 females, age 43.29 ± 11.42 years) and 40 healthy controls (22 males, 18 females, age 40.11 ± 16.81 years). The patients were divided into three subgroups based on the integrity between the anterior cingulum and the basal forebrain on diffusion tensor tractography: subgroup A (n = 19 patients) - both sides of the anterior cingulum were intact; subgroup B (n = 36 patients) - either side of the anterior cingulum was intact; and subgroup C (18 patients) - both sides of the anterior cingulum were discontinued. There were significant differences in total Memory Assessment Scale score between subgroups A and B and between subgroups A and C. There were no significant differences in diffusion tensor tractography parameters (fractional anisotropy, apparent diffusion coefficient, and fiber volume) between patients and controls. These findings suggest that the integrity between the anterior cingulum and the basal forebrain, but not diffusion tensor tractography parameter, can be used to predict the cognitive function of patients with chronic mild traumatic brain injury. This study was approved by Yeungnam University Hospital Institutional Review Board (approval No. YUMC-2014-01-425-010) on August 16, 2017.

Diffusion Tensor Tractography Studies on Injured Anterior Cingulum Recovery Mechanisms: A Mini-Review

The cingulum, a major structure in the limbic system, contains the medial cholinergic pathway, which originates from the basalis nucleus of Meynert (Ch 4) in the basal forebrain. The cingulum is involved in various cognitive functions, including memory, attention, learning, motivation, emotion, and pain perception. In this mini-review, 10 studies reporting on recovery mechanisms of injured cinguli in patients with brain injury were reviewed. The recovery mechanisms of the injured anterior cinguli reported in those 10 studies are classified as follows: Mechanism 1, recovery via the normal pathway of the cingulum between the injured cingulum and Ch 4; mechanism 2, recovery through the neural tract between the injured cingulum and the brainstem cholinergic nuclei; mechanism 3, recovery via the lateral cholinergic pathway between the injured cingulum and the white matter of the temporo-occipital lobes; mechanism 4, recovery through the neural tract between the contralesional basal forebrain and the ipsilesional basal forebrain via the genu of the corpus callosum; and mechanism 5, recovery through the neural tract between the injured cingulum and Ch 4 via an aberrant pathway. Elucidation of the recovery mechanisms of injured anterior cinguli might be useful for neurorehabilitation of patients with anterior cingulum injuries. Diffusion tensor tractography appears to be useful in the detection of recovery mechanisms of injured anterior cinguli in patients with brain injury. However, studies on cingulum injury recovery mechanisms are still in the early stages because most of the above studies are case reports confined to a few brain pathologies. Therefore, further studies involving large numbers of subjects with various brain pathologies should be encouraged. In addition, studies on the influencing factors and clinical outcomes associated with each recovery mechanism are warranted.

Recovery of an injured cingulum concurrent with improvement of short-term memory in a patient with mild traumatic brain injury

OBJECTIVES

We reported on a patient with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) who showed recovery of an injured cingulum concurrent with improvement of short-term memory, which was demonstrated on follow-up diffusion tensor tractography (DTT).

METHODS

A 55-year-old male patient suffered head trauma resulting from falling from approximately 2 m while working at a construction site. The patient showed mild memory impairment (especially short-term memory impairment) at 3 months after onset: Memory Assessment Scale (global memory: 95 (37%ile), short-term memory: 75 (5%ile), verbal memory: 80 (9%ile) and visual memory: 112 (79%ile)). By contrast, at 2 years after onset, his mild memory impairment had improved to a normal state: Memory Assessment Scale (global memory: 104 (61%ile), short-term memory: 95 (37%ile), verbal memory: 101 (53%ile) and visual memory: 106 (66%ile)).

RESULTS

On 3-month DTT, discontinuation of the right anterior cingulum was observed over the genu of the corpus callosum, while on 2-year DTT, the discontinued right anterior cingulum was elongated to the right basal forebrain.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, recovery of an injured cingulum concurrent with improvement of short-term memory was demonstrated in a patient with mild TBI.

Neural reorganization between injured cingula and the brainstem cholinergic nuclei in a patient with cerebral concussion: A case report

RATIONALE

We report on a patient who showed neural reorganization between injured cingula and the brainstem cholinergic nuclei following cerebral concussion.

PATIENT CONCERNS

The main concern of the patient is memory impairment.

DIAGNOSES

Cerebral concussion.

OUTCOMES

When she visited our hospital at 2 years after onset, cognitive function was evaluated using 2 scales; the Wechsler Intelligence Scale, and the Seoul neuropsychological screening battery: total IQ 97, verbal immediate recall 5.70 percentile, visual immediate recall 30.75 percentile, verbal delayed recall 3.13 percentile, visual delayed recall 11.00 percentile, verbal recognition <0.01 percentile, and visual recognition 13.70 percentile. Conventional brain magnetic resonance imaging did not show any abnormality. On 2-year diffusion tensor tractography for the cingulum, both anterior cingula were discontinued over the genu of the corpus callosum. One neural fiber bundle originating from the middle portion of the left cingulum descended through the left subcortical white matter, and connected to the left pedunculopontine nucleus (Ch 5) in the midbrain and the left laterodorsal tegmental nucleus (Ch 6) in the upper pons.

LESSONS

Reorganization of cholinergic innervations between cholinergic nuclei in the basal forebrain and brainstem following injury of the anterior cingulum was demonstrated in a patient with cerebral concussion.

Diffusion Tensor Tractography for Detection of Concomitant Traumatic Brain Injury in Patients With Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury

OBJECTIVES

We investigated concomitant traumatic brain injury in patients with traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) who had head trauma history, using diffusion tensor tractography (DTT).

DESIGN

Retrospective survey.

PARTICIPANTS

We recruited 14 consecutive patients with TSCI and coexisting head trauma history at the time of TSCI and 30 control subjects.

METHODS

The corticospinal tract (CST), corticoreticulospinal tract (CRT), cingulum, and fornix were reconstructed using DTT, and DTT parameters (fractional anisotropy and fiber volume) and configuration were estimated.

RESULTS

The values of fractional anisotropy and fiber volume in the CST, CRT, cingulum, and fornix of the patient group were significantly lower than those of the control group (P < .05). On configurational analysis of DTT for each tract, the neural tracts for motor function (the CST and CRT) had more injury than the neural tracts for cognitive function (the cingulum and fornix). No association between the severity of TSCI and traumatic brain injury was observed in terms of DTT parameters.

CONCLUSIONS

Using DTT, we found injury of the neural tracts in patients with head trauma history at the time of TSCI. Our results suggest that brain evaluation using DTT can be recommended for the patients with head trauma history at the time of TSCI irrespective of the results of conventional brain MRI.

Recovery of an injured cingulum via an aberrant neural tract in a patient with traumatic brain injury: A case report

BACKGROUND

We report on a patient who appeared to show recovery of an injured anterior cingulum via an aberrant neural tract between an injured cingulum and the basalis nucleus of Meynert following traumatic brain injury (TBI), which was demonstrated on diffusion tensor tractography (DTT).

METHODS

A 47-year-old male who had suffered a pedestrian traffic accident underwent conservative management for diffuse traumatic axonal injury. When starting rehabilitation at 6 weeks after onset, evaluation using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) could not be performed due to the severity of his cognitive dysfunction. The patient showed improvement of cognitive dysfunction on MMSE with 10 at 2 months, 13 at 6 months, and 26 at 10 months after onset.

RESULTS

On 6-week DTT, discontinuation superior to the genu of the corpus callosum was observed in both cingulums. However, on 6-month DTT, the discontinued anterior part of the right cingulum was elongated anteriorly, not through the cingulum, but through the anterolateral subcortical white matter of the cingulum, while on 10-month DTT, this elongated neural tract of the right cingulum was connected to the right basalis nucleus of Meynert in the basal forebrain.

CONCLUSION

Recovery of an injured anterior cingulum via an aberrant neural tract between an injured cingulum and Ch 4 was demonstrated in a patient with TBI. Our result appears to suggest a mechanism for recovery of an injured cingulum following brain injury.

Change of Neural Connectivity of the Red Nucleus in Patients with Striatocapsular Hemorrhage: A Diffusion Tensor Tractography Study

The red nucleus (RN) is involved in motor control and it is known to have potential to compensate for injury of the corticospinal tract (CST). We investigated the change of connectivity of the RN (RNc) and its relation to motor function in patients with striatocapsular hemorrhage. Thirty-five chronic patients with striatocapsular hemorrhage were recruited. Motricity Index (MI), Modified Brunnstrom Classification (MBC), and Functional Ambulation Category (FAC) were measured for motor function. The probabilistic tractography method was used for evaluation of the RNc. Fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), and tract volume (TV) of the RNc were measured. FA and TV ratios of the RNc in patients with discontinuation of the affected CST were significantly higher than those of patients with preserved integrity of the CST in the affected hemisphere (p < 0.05). TV ratio of the RNc showed significant negative correlation with upper MI (weak correlation, r = −0.35), total MI (weak correlation, r = −0.34), and MBC (moderate correlation, r = −0.43), respectively (p < 0.05). We found that the neural structure of the RNc was relatively increased in the unaffected hemisphere compared with the affected hemisphere in patients with more severe injury of the CST.